The Duelling Competition
by BelovedArise
Summary: Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Harry Potter, is thrilled to be leading the Hogwarts Duelling Club to its' first international competition in a century. Arriving at Beauxbatons with fellow coach Neville Longbottom he discovers an old friend married to someone he'd never expect. How will it effect their reunion and who will win the competition?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I'll admit I'm a sucker for stories where Harry and/or Ron encounter Hermione after years only to discover she's with Draco. This is just a fun little foray into that idea.

* * *

Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and Boy-Who-Lived, Harry James Potter had many achievements in his life, but as he stepped into the Duelling Hall at Beauxbatons he felt almost as proud as he did when his children were born. It had taken hard work and quite a few years, but he had finally gotten the Hogwarts Duelling Club invited to an international competition. All his preparation with the D.A. and years of arranging portkeys for every competition he could find and use to qualify in Great Britain had come to a head.

"Okay everyone," He instructed clearly. "Head over to the flag with our crest on it and start warming up! I know we're in a new place with new people around, but keep in mind how hard we've worked to get here and don't let yourselves get distracted."

"You nervous, Harry?" The voice of Neville Longbottom, Hogwarts Herbology Professor and Harry's fellow coach broke the Boy-Who-Lived out of his reverie, and he cast a grin at his friend. "Nah. The kids have worked hard for this, Nev. We've worked hard for this. Besides, it's not like any of the other schools are going to have war veterans teaching duelling."

The two former Gryffindors started walking toward the Hogwarts area, scanning the competition with a weather eye, when fate saw fit to use Harry's last words as the punchline to a giant cosmic joke, because as they approached the flag, both men heard a very familiar voice.

"Séverine, we _know_ you can throw someone off the table with a stinging jinx. This exercise is about _precision!_ Control your intent, wield the jinx like a lancet, not a sword!"

The two Gryffindors turned to look at each other in shock, and Neville, channeling some of his bravery, broke the awkward silence. "Was that...that sounded like...Hermione, didn't it?"

"it really did." Harry agreed, scanning the crowd closer and coming to a stop between the Hogwarts area and the Beauxbatons group. There, hands on her hips and brown hair constrained into a thick braid, dressed in svelte duelling robes was none other than Hermione Granger, who had been, as far as Harry knew, missing since a few days after the last battle. Unable to believe his eyes, he blinked and then walked toward her. "Hermione!" The witch in question turned, and if he had doubted it before, he knew he was right now. "Hermione...oh Merlin."

"Hello Harry." Hermione answered, smiling at him. She glanced at the curly-haired teenager she had just been coaching. "Séverine, go switch with Jean-Philippe and duel your sister."

"Yes, Maman." Séverine replied, nodding her blonde head and wandering off to her mirror image.

"Séverine?" Harry repeated, amused. "You named a child after Snape?"

Hermione laughed at that. "This coming from the man who named his son _Albus Severus_. I promised Snape my firstborn once upon a time. What's your excuse, Harry?"

Harry laughed at that, but it was sad. "He did so much for us and we never knew."

"More than just Severus." Hermione admitted, and then smiled at him. "Congratulations on qualifying on the international level, Harry, and to think, in fifth year you weren't sure about leading the D.A."

"Never thought I'd be teaching, that's for sure." Harry admitted. He looked over his old friend and smiled. "You though, I'm not surprised you went into teaching...we looked for you, you know. Where did you go?"

Hermione frowned slightly, shaking her head. "I spent a year or so in Australia and then came here." She sighed. "There was no way to undo the memory charm on my parents, and I needed to get away from the war and all of it."

Harry frowned, wanting to hug his old friend, but he felt as if the years stood between them like a chasm. "I'm sorry, Mione."

"It was a long time ago." Hermione said, dismissively, but her amber eyes were pained. "I'm glad things have gone so well for you, Harry." She held out a hand to him. "Good luck this weekend."

"You too." Harry said, shaking her hand. "Maybe we can have dinner later."

"That would be nice." Hermione answered. "I'll see if I can arrange something."

Suddenly, one of the other students, in Beauxbatons blue, waved his arm. " _Madame Malfoy, je voudrais poser une question sur le tournoi!_ "

Hermione turned and hurried off to the student who had spoken, leaving a gobsmacked Harry in her wake. "Madame... _Malfoy?!_ " He repeated, feeling as though the world had just turned upside-down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** I know it's been awhile, but here we are, the second chapter of The Duelling Competition, wherein everybody has thoughts about a dinner party!

* * *

Séverine and Amata Malfoy had never seen their mother so flustered, and unlike their little brother, did not find it amusing. "I don't see how they even got here." Séverine complained mutinously to her twin sister as they prepared to have a private dinner in their parents' apartments with one of the visiting coaches and his sons in their dining room. "They don't seem that good, and he's driving Maman up a wall. Who cares if he's Harry Potter?"

"His eldest son seems well fit." Amata murmured, as she arranged her golden curls with more care than she usually bothered with, even for special occasions.

Séverine looked at her sister in disgust. "Really, Amata? You won't give Achille or Christophe the time of day, but some English bloke comes in, and you're ready to climb him like a tree?"

Amata merely hummed cryptically. "Things will happen as they should."

"I hate when you do that." Séverine grumbled.

* * *

"I don't know if I can do this, Draco." Hermione groaned, as she paced their bedroom. "I haven't seen Harry in years, and you didn't see the expression on his face when Cristophe called me." She buried her head in her hands. "He's going to hate me."

Draco hated that Potter was in his home, destroying the balance of the life he had created for himself, but most of all, he hated how it was affecting his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "You can do this, Hermione. If he hated you, he wouldn't have accepted your invitation to come tonight, and if after dinner he decides he hates you, then we just meet him at the competition, watch our team wipe the floor with his, and send him on his way back to Hogwarts."

"I can do this." Hermione repeated. "I can do this...but it's Harry, Draco!"

Draco sighed, shaking his head. "Where's my Gryffindor wife?" He asked softly. "Potter isn't the Dark Lord." He closed his eyes against a spear of pain. "I'm sure if you told him I was a rogue and seduced you, or harmed you, he'd scoop you up and take you home to England."

Hermione stiffened at that, and turned to look at him. "You don't think I'd do that, do you? I love you, Draco."

"I think that's what he'll try to do." Draco answered, tightening his hold on her. "And you know I'd never make you stay."

Hermione turned, and put her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "You'd never have to, Draco. I would never leave you, or our family."

* * *

"Malfoy, Neville!" Harry said, running his hands through his eternally messy hair. "She married Malfoy! Her students call her Madame Malfoy!"

"You've said." Neville said with a laugh. "Repeatedly."

"I just…" Harry said, wiping his hands over his face. "I don't know how to take this. He was our enemy. What will Ron say?"

"Does it matter?" Neville asked, confused. "Ron and Lavender are married and have a family."

"He'll go spare." Harry groaned. "How can I hide this from him?"

"Don't say anything unless he asks?" Neville suggested. "It has been years, Harry."

"It was always the three of us against the world." Harry said, cleaning his glasses. "Against trolls and Death Eaters, hiding in tents and…"

"The war's over Harry." Neville reminded him. "Hermione's obviously moved on. Just...have dinner with her, and try not to treat her like she's still eighteen."

* * *

James and Albus Potter were slightly more excited than everyone else attending the dinner.

"He was a Death Eater, I bet he knows all sorts of curses." Albus said, shaking his head. "Do you think he and Dad will duel? Dad disarmed him before. I bet he could do it again."

"You are such a Hufflepuff." James remarked, shaking his head. "They're adults and teachers, this isn't going to turn into some kind of post-war skirmish. It's probably going to be dry and boring and we're going to have to sit there as they talk about the weather." He grinned at his brother. "but at least you'll get to meet someone with as much of an unfortunate name as you."

"Bugger off." Albus growled.


End file.
